


Bright: City of Angels

by CelticRae



Category: Bright (2017)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Detectives, Explicit Language, Justice, Kidnapping, Other, Violence, child endangerment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-04-25 16:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14382663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticRae/pseuds/CelticRae
Summary: A private investigator takes on a case that painfully mimics her past.  She teams up with L.A.'s famous Orc cop to bring down the murderer that has haunted her for years.





	1. Taking the Case

They call it the City of Angels, Hollywood makes it look beautiful, a heavenly surreal place that’s all sleek buildings and palm trees and beautiful people. Maybe for tourists and Elves, but for everyone else L.A. is dirty and gritty and real.

_And hot as balls,_ Zoe reflected.  The air conditioning was out, again, rendering her office a sweltering oven. She considered call the landlord for the umpteenth time, but it would go to voicemail and be ignored in the order her call was received.  Her other options were to call Dom, an Orc who owed her more favors than she could count, or lock up early and find a bar with ice and whiskey.  

Zoe checked the clock, 3:15.  Dom would still be at work, or more likely his probation officer’s, since it was Wednesday. Time to lock up and head out, she decided. She kicked the block propping the door open, not that it did any good.  That would require a breeze.  Zoe had just stuck the key in the lock when a nervous voice spoke.

“I’m sorry, are you open? I thought the hours were 10-5” a middle aged human woman asked.  She looked nervous, but not overly so. 

Zoe pushed the door open “AC’s out, but come on in.”

The woman walked past “Oh, it is hot in here.” She took a seat in front of the desk and looked expectantly at Zoe, “Is Detective Michaels in?”

Zoe sighed, “I’m the ‘Detective’ Michaels, ‘cept I’m not a detective, just an private investigator. No police authority.”  

“I’m so sorry, I just expected…”

“I get that a lot.  What do you have for me?” Zoe sank behind the desk, powering up her computer.

The woman pulled out a picture and slid it across the desk.  A boy, maybe 6 or 7 clutching a Power Ranger toy, grinned at the camera.  Zoe’s heart stopped.  The same action figure, one that used to belong to her son, sat on her desk.

“He went missing last night...”

“Whoa, full stop. This is way out of my jurisdiction; you need to go the police.” Zoe cut her off.

“I did, and they’re looking… It’s just..We just moved here but I know people, orcs, won’t talk to the police.  I heard that you were..That you were on good terms with them” Tears welled in the woman’s eyes.  

“Look, I feel for you, I do but this isn’t really what I do.”

“Please!”  the tears spilled over. “We can pay you. Anything.  Double! I just..I want my boy…”

Zoe shut her eyes.  Whatever was left of her heart went out to the woman.  She answered slowly, “Look, I don’t want to give you false hope.  Let the police do their job...  That said, I’ll ask around, see if anyone saw anything.”  She took the photo without looking at it and handed the woman a stack of paperwork, “Fill this out and I’ll need the name of the detective assigned to your case.”

 

Half an hour later, Mrs. Lucy Chadwick, newly moved to South Central for her husband’s job (poor sucker), left the office.  Zoe slipped the photo into her back pocket. _Lock up, find a drink, No more surprises_ she prayed as she turned the key.

 

It was dark when Zoe left the bar, but thankfully it was cooler. She slung her jacket on, hiding the gun in her shoulder holster. Better not to tempt fate, though walking in the dark, even in this neighborhood, never bothered her. It helped that most of the gang members knew her, and a lot of them owed her.

Her background in Law allowed her to work as an advocate, mostly pro bono, when orcs got arrested on trumped up charges or flat out bullshit.  As a result, people like Dom handled her maintenance, or fixed her car, or gave her food from their tiny gardens.  On the other hand, her reputation for discretion and a willingness to meet privately on site, allowed Elves to lower themselves to hiring a P.I. from South Central, mostly to find wandering husbands and wayward party children. Elves pay the bills, Orcs give me business.

 

A group of Orc kids were walking ahead of her, joking around shoving each other, as kids do.  One of the bigger boys shove a smaller kid back, he bumped into Zoe and plopped down on his butt.

“Watch it, kid.” She growled at the bigger boy.  He sneered at her and ran off, the rest of his gang close after him leaving the younger kid behind. The kid didn't even have his fangs yet.

“Hiya, Zee!” The boy grinned up at her, bouncing to his feet.  She recognized him as one of the kids who hung out with Dom's gang.  The boy wrinkled his nose at her “You smell like booze.”

“Yeah, that happens.  Isn’t a school night, kiddo?”

The boy stuck his tongue out at her and ran off after the others.  As he passed the alley, a tall figure, in jeans and a hoodie, stepped out from between the buildings and grabbed the boy. The kid let out yelp as he struggled to get away.

“Hey! Let him go!” the older boys turned back, running at the hooded figure.  The guy faced Zoe, watching her for moment before shoving the captive boy into the others and taking off back into dark alley.  Zoe started to run off after him.  

“Get him home, tell his dad.” she called to the boys as she ran past.  

The figure was almost all the way down to the end, out into the street.  Without thinking she pulled her gun, racing down the dark alley and out into the street lights.  The figure was in the next ally, one she knew was closed off by a chain link fence.  Even from across the street, she could hear him start to climb. As she dashed from street to alley she hear the whoop of a police siren.   _Fuck me_ she thought. Nevertheless, she continued, hitting the fence just in time to see the figure drop on the other side.  

 

The figure stopped,  In the dark she could just make out a face, no details except for an awful white toothed grin.  Human, male approximately 6 foot. Jeans and hoodie. After a moment, he turned a ran out of the alley.  Zoe holstered her gun and started up the fence.

“Hey”, a bright light illuminated the area around her “Down or I shoot”

“Fuck” Zoe dropped off the fence, slapping it out of frustration.

“Hands on your head, turn around.”

She had no choice but to comply, squinting into the blinding light.  Two cops, one holding a flashlight, the other one with his gun trained on her.

“You got a license for that?” the gun holding cop said, gesturing at the holster, now visible under her jacket.  

“In my wallet, back right pocket, under my driver license.”

The flashlight holding cop approached her. “Don’t move” he growled.  An orc.  He grabbed her gun before digging out her wallet.

“You’re the guy from the news, Officer Jacobs, right?”

“Jakoby” the Orc said, opening her wallet, the picture fluttered out.  Jacoby caught it before it hit the ground.

“At least I’m arrested by someone famous...” Zoe quipped.

“Shut up.” the gun cop said.

“Ward,” Jacoby held up the photo. “Isn’t this that missing kid?”

The gun cop, Ward, moved closer, keeping his pistol on her.  “Yeah, it is.  Why you have that? Why you got a picture of a missing kid?” He shoved the barrel in her face.

“His mom asked me to ask around, since most folks out here won’t talk to cops…can’t see why” She smirked “I’m a private investigator”

“That license is here, too.” Jakoby said, holding both her concealed carry permit and the P.I. license.  Ward lowered his gun.

“Why were you running with your gun out?” he demanded.

“I was chasing some asshole who tried to grab a kid.” She pointed past the chain link fence. “He went that way.”

“You didn’t think about calling the cops? Or staying with the kid?”

“The kid’s with friends and no, I didn't call the cops because a ‘tall male in a dark hoodie and jeans’ describes the whole fucking city.”

“Do you think that guy is related to the missing kid?” Jakoby asked, handing her wallet and gun back to her.

“Dunno.” Zoe returned her gun.  “The kid he tried to grab was an orc.  Could a kidnapper, could be a gang thing, could be just be a run-of-the-mill pedo. Seemed like he wanted me to know, though.  He kept looking at me.”

“What do you mean he kept looking at you?” Ward asked.

“Twice.  He looked right at me. Never even glanced at the kid.

“Did you recognize him?”

“Couldn’t see his face, just enough to know he’s a human male.”

“Great. This is just what I need.” Ward sighed “You’re gonna have to come down to the station and give a statement.

 

 

“You need a lift home?” Officer Jakoby asked.

“We are not a taxi service.” Ward admonished, clearly exasperated with his partner.

“Well, I was gonna walk, but since you’re so enthusiastic,” Zoe smiled brightly at Ward, “Yes. I’d love ride.”

 

Twenty tense minutes later, they pulled up in front of her office.  Officer Jakoby opened the back door, letting Zoe slid out.  

“You live here?” He sounded concerned, the dark storefront in ‘the bad neighborhood’ looked more like a decrepit convenience store than anyplace you could call home.

“Most nights.  There’s a bedroom and a shower in the back.  And food delivers.” She said turning away from him to slid her key in the lock.

“Oh, hey uh...wait.” Jacoby pulled out his notebook and scribbled his number.  “If anything like that happens again, call me. Us.  We’re usually in this part of the city.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Zoe pulled the door open and was greeted by blast of hot air.  Her office wasn’t any cooler. “Have a good night, Officer.”

“Nick.  It’s... My name is Nick.”

“Let’s keep this professional.”  Zoe flashed a peace sign and let the door click shut behind her.

 

 

“What? You give her your number?” Ward asked as soon Jakoby was back in the car.

“I just thought, you know, if something else happened…” Jakoby trailed off.

“They have 911 for a reason” Ward leaned back in to his seat. “Man, just drive.”


	2. Meet the Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually working as a P.I. is pretty boring. Waking at noon, sitting on the computer, having to get out at talk to people, picking fights with the cops. As long as it ends at a bar, we're all good.

_Heat brings out the worst in people.  As the temperature rises, the crime rate rises. Even dreams aren’t safe, there’s a direct correlation between heat and nightmares.  L.A. is just full of monsters._

 

Zoe was in a narrow alley.  Sniffing sounds faintly drifted from somewhere ahead, obscured by darkness. It sounded like a little kid.  As she started walking, the crying grew harder, intermixed with mewing pleas for help.  She broke into a run. her footsteps echoed against the brick as she ran.  The further she ran, the longer the alley seemed to be.  She could still hear the kid, now sobbing and begging for help.

“Hang on” her voice sounded hollow ringing back at her.

A chain link fence appeared out of the darkness, too close to stop, and she bounced off it, stumbling, nearly falling.  When she looked up, there was a dark human shaped shadow moving closer.  The darkness were it’s face should have been split with a surreal grin, too white and too wide.

The  shadow drifted forward, gliding noiselessly over the pavement. Zoe reached up,  struggling to pull her gun from the holster while backing away.  The shadow passed through the fence, it’s smile beginning to glow, brighter and brighter.  The smile nearly blinded her as she finally freed her gun, she whipped it up, leveling, not a .9mm, but a green action figure.

  


Zoe snapped awake, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy.  According to her phone, it was almost noon.  The sun was high in the sky, sending a sunbeam filtering through the blinds directly to Zoe’s pillow.  She swung her legs off the edge and sat, pondering trying to go back to sleep.  Absently, she reached out, groping for the bottle.  Instead her hand burched a piece of paper.

Nick Jakoby and  it looked like he wrote his personal number.   _Idiot_ She thought, crumpling the paper and tossing it off the end of the bed.  Making friends with her wouldn’t win him any popularity contests.  She had a reputation with the L.A. police.

 

 

 

In another lifetime, Zoe had been a paralegal working for, Calar, Calar & Theriril,  a fancy elven law firm with fancy clientele. But the fancy clientele allowed the firm to offer pro bono tax-write-off  services for all the poor, sad, lower classes. Zoe and her bleeding heart eagerly took the job in that department.  And after a few years when they offered to pay for law school, she took the plunge, just so she could _make a difference._

Except no one actually wanted to make a difference.  No cared, innocent or guilty, as long as it winnable and they got good press.  

 

 And then when her life fell apart, they dropped her like a **.  Still she managed to get enough legal training to work as an advocate.  Miranda Rights were a big hang up, L.A. police always seemed to forget when they arrested orcs.  Same with silly things like  ‘reasonable force’ and ‘planting evidence’.  Thank the gods for cell phones and security cameras.

 

Of course, not everyone on the force hated her. She had ingratiated herself with the orc community, particularly the gangs, which made her useful. A couple of detectives, and now at least one officer, tolerated her.  Once in a while she was called on to assist in investigations.  Like the one she should be working on now.

 

Zoe grabbed a box of ancient box of  fried rice and a beer from her fridge before settling behind her laptop.

Missing kids...in Compton...in the last week....There was a small blurb about the Chadwick boy, just a few lines in the Crimes section of the newspaper website. A related link lead to story about a teenage elf girl missing from her Bel Aire home.  No ransom, yet,  probably ran off with a low-class boyfriend, real Romeo and Juliet stuff. 

Of course, the results didn’t mean squat.  Half the shit that happens in this neighborhood doesn’t get reported.  Better to hit the streets, ask around.  Zoe chugged the beer and shoved the rice back in the fridge.  She would have left though the back, but for the sudden knock coming from the window up front.

A tall orc woman was waiting outside her office.  Just behind her Zoe could see the boy from last night.  

“Marcus told me what happened.  He says you live here.” She started, before Zoe got the door fully open.

“I’m Ceila Janna, his mom.,  I brought him down here to say thank you.”  She jerked Marcus around so he was facing Zoe. “Say thank you” She ordered.

“Thanks’” the boy said, looking down at his feet. Shyly, he peeked up at her “You still smell like beer.”

“Chlopcyk!” his mother reprimanded him in Orcish and cuffed him upside the head.

“I ran out of milk.” Zoe winked at the boy before addressing his mom, “Is it okay if I ask Marcus a few questions about last night?

“Go ahead.” Ceila nodded  “Let’s catch this bastard.” She pulled Marcus into the office.

“I seen you around, over at Dom’s place.” the orc woman said, “heard you’re good people.”

“I don’t know about good, but I’m people”  Zoe said absently, digging though her desk. “Do you live by Dom?”

“He’s a asshole.” Ceila responded.

“Yep, you live by Dom.” She pulled out a notepad and a pen. “I might have some questions for you atoo. Different case, may be related through.”  Zoe turned back to Marcus  “Pretty scary last night, huh?”

The boy’s chin went up, “I ain’t scared, I coulda taken him, but he ran off.”

“Yeah, you spooked him.  Did you happen to get a good look at his face?”

The boy nodded.  “He’s a human, had a weird nose, Like a bumpy and big.”  The boy motioned unhelpfully, tracing large shapes in the air.

Zoe nodded, pulling out her phone “Do you remember what he smelled like? In simple terms, please.” She might not have an orcs sense of smell, but it still made a good lead.

“Yeah he smelled like a human and like that church on Acacia  on Sundays.”

“St. Olaf’s,” Ceila interjected “The burn so much incense it sinks up the whole block.”

Zoe nodded and scribbled the location down.  She showed her phone to the boy, “Any of those noses look familiar?”  A search of ‘bumpy noses’ brought up a variety of not so lovely images, and reminded her to turn on safesearch.

Marcus scrolled through,  “That one.” He handed  the phone back, pointing to a picture of a boxer with broken nose.

“Broken nose, probably recent, Smells like a church, dumb enough to mess with Marcus.”  Zoe muttered to herself as she wrote her notes.  Marcus giggled at the last part.  “Great, and on that note..” she turned to Ceila and related the basics, the missing boy, the mom’s request, and that she’d promised to ask around.

“Cops came through, asking about that.” Ceila said tightly.  “No one I know saw anything.”

“Nothing else, you can think of? I’m not the cops, but I can take information to them...and I protect my sources.”

Ceila hesitated before speaking carefully,“ ‘nother kid went missing a few days before. A little girl a few years older than Marcus. An orc, so when her parents called the cops, but they didn’t do nothing.  Don’t think they even called it in.”

“Any chance I can get their  address?” Zoe asked, even though she knew the answer.

“No.” Ceila stated flatly.  “I don’t know you and they don’t need a human pokin around.” She sighed, adding “It’s being handled.”  

Being handled meant one of the clans  was ‘looking into it.’

 ‘Fair enough.” Zoe held up her hands, “I hate to rush you, but I have to go see our good friend Dom.”

 “Look…”Ceila stopped, lookin torn, “ if Edik Laverti’s hanging around, you...might talk to him.  But don’t tell him I told you that.”

“I told you, I protect my sources. And thank you.”  Zoe walked the pair out, locking up behind. 

 

Edik was one of Dom’s buddies and on the Blacktide Clans enforcers.  Technically, Dom was Blacktide too but as far Zoe knew, he didn’t much besides show up to gatherings.  The clan was local, small based entirely in L.A., where some of the larger clans had family all over the country.  Mostly they kept the peace, like neighborhood watch if your neighbors sold drugs and occasionally killed people.

 

Dom was sitting on the front stops of his house, smoking a joint with his buddies, Edik, and another orc Zoe recognized but couldn’t name.

The rusty gate creaked loudly as Zoe opened it.  “I’m gonna get Tetanus on this someday.” She called.

“Not if you stop coming around.” Dom yelled back, much to the amusement of his friends.

“Your probation officer know you’re smoking again?” Zoe saunted up the path, stopping in front of the group.  

“Ha!” Edik snached the joint out of Dom’s hand, “Don’t want you in trouble again.” He took a long hit, before holding it out to Zoe.  She waved it away.

“What do you want, Zee?” Dom leaned forward.

“Two things, My AC’s out, again.  And you’re more reliable than my landlord.”  

Dom nodded, “ I can get to it tomorrow, I’m busy today.” he sat back, spreading his arms across the top step and stretching his legs out.  “What else?”

“And I’m looking into a missing kid.”  She fished the photo out of her pocket, handing it to Dom. “Tyler Chadwick, 10 years old. Went missing a block away from here.”

“Police already been through.” he barely glanced at the photo, handing it back.

Zoe took it., “His mom hired me to ask around, so I’m asking.  I’m not working with the police.” Zoe studied the picture, her eyes catching on the action figure, “She just wants her kid back.”

Edik held his hand out.  Zoe handed him the picture.  “Rumor has it another kid is missing, a little orc girl.”

Edik’s eye flicked up to her, “What do you know about that?”

“I know I witnessed someone try to snatch a kid last night, stepped out of the alley and grabbed a boy, Marcus Janna, dropped him when I yelled.”  Zoe watched the group closely.

Dom bolted up, “Wait someone tried to grab Marcus? Ceila didn’t tell me that!”  Now the asshole comment made sense, Dom could be a little...overbearing with the women he liked.

“That’s cause she don’t like you, drook.” the other orc laughed.

Edrik handed the picture back, “I saw some guy, human, I didn’t recognize wandering around. He mostly stayed west of Parkwood, so I didn't think much of it.”  

Parkwood marked the start of of the middle class and mostly human neighborhood, three blocks away from Dom’s and one block form the Chadwick home.  Parkwood also ran directly into Acacia.  If she remembered correctly,  St. Olaf’s wasn’t that far from the intersection.

“You got a description? Or a smell?”

“I didn’t get close enough to catch his scent, that sides not my business.  But he was busted up, like he’d been in a fight. Humans are kinda delicate.”

Zoe smirked, “Like fucking flowers, “ She agreed, “Thanks, I’ll look into it. And If hear anything about the orc girl, I’ll let you know.”

“Hey the guy that grabbed Marcus..”Dom started.

“I didn’t see him, he had his hood up, but Marcus said he was a human with a busted nose.”

 

Zoe walked over to the Chadwick house, it was one houses in from the corner, closer to Parkwood than Dom’s street.  The house on the corner  was vacant, easy place to stash a child.  And probably the first place the police checked. More likely they took the kid past the vacant house and around the corner, to a waiting vehicle.

A police cruiser sat in front of the Chadwick home, two bored looking officers inside.  She pulled out one of her business cards and approached them

“ Evening,” She offered her card.

“Fuck off.” The officer in the passenger seat said, not even looking at her.

“I know you, You're that lawyer who wishes she was an orc.” The other officer sneered at her.

‘Wrong on both counts, but thanks for playing.” Zoe smiled sweetly .”Look, I heard what happened, I asked around and I have some info for you.”

“Not interested. Fuck off.” She could read their names now, that was Officer Hill.

“Okay, I’ll let Detective Bettson know your pride is more important than a kid’s safety.”

“Bitch, I ought to take you in on obstruction of justice.”  And that was Office Carter, she’d gotten several of his charges dismissed recently.

“Do... Do you even know what that means? That’s the opposite of what I’m trying to do.”

“Get the fuck out of here before I arrest you for being a cunt.” Carter grabbed the door handle, but didn’t open it.

Zoe signaled defeat and walked away, turning the corner. She checked the road and sidewalk, of course there were no distinct tire marks, not that she was expecting anything obvious. She followed the trail to Parkwood.  She stood on the corner, watching cars fly past. Parkwood was busy and with no stop light, a making a left would take forever.  If the kidnapper wanted a quick getaway, he’d make a right turn, which would lead him Acacia, another right on Acacia would take them to St. Olafs.  

After a moments hesitation, Zoe walked off in the opposite direction.  She’d been paid, up front even, to ask around, not solve the case.  A quick call to Detective Bettson and a call to the mom and done.  Just walk away.  Right into a bar.


	4. Chasing a Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe heads to the bar and picks up some useful leads, a trip back to the alley sheds some light on things.

_It was another one of those days, or rather nights, when you don’t have much to go on, chasing a lead can feel like chasing your tail._

Wednesday night and the Corner Bar was dead, just Ray, a homeless guy who always had money for booze, Velek, an Orc second shifter on his post-work binge, and Zoe,  The regulars paying for braces on Mitka’s kids’ teeth.  Zoe plopped on her usual stool and signaled for a drink. The large Orc behind the bar grabbed two bottles and headed over

“Tough day?  Or  your usual?” Mitka set a bottle of good whiskey and dreck on the bar.

“Missing kid and A-hole cops.” Zoe said.

Mitka winced and poured the good stuff, surprised she took the case.  Zoe had been coming in long enough and gotten drunk enough that he’d heard her story. Something losing her own kid, missing or kidnapped, he was fuzzy on the details.

Zoe slammed the first drink and he poured another.

“Hey, Mitka!” Ray yelled down the bar, “What’ll $2.36 get me?”

“One beer” Mitka left the bottle with Zoe. There was a good chance she’d plow through it.  That girl could out drink an Orc.

Zoe sipped her next drink thoughtfully, watching in the mirror as the homeless man nursed his beer.  He might be only person who knew the neighborhood better than the clan.  She’d seen Ray out in the day, standing busy corners with his ‘Please Help” sign or digging through trash cans.

“Yo, Ray” she leaned forward, looking past Velek, “I always wondered, where’d you get your money? Cans?”

“Nah, kindness of strangers. Why? You need a new line of work?" He guffawed.

“So you probably know these streets, know the people on ‘em.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m looking for someone, a guy, human, a little taller than me, beat up face, maybe wears a hoodie,.”  She raised an eyebrow, holding up the bottle, offering him a drink.   Ray shuffled over, taking the seat next to her.  Mitka set down another glass and stood back, arms crossed, while Zoe poured.  She pulled the glass away when Ray reached for it.

The old man grinned a mouthful of rotten teeth at her.

“Beat up and hoodie in this heat? I ‘member him.”

“Great, where?” Zoe toyed with the glass, teasingly.

“All over.  He wanders.  Ugly guy, big nose, bruised face...”  Ray reached for the glass, Zoe let him have it.

“You ever see him in one place more than another? Someplace he goes back to?

“He passes me two or three times a day.” Ray liked the corner of Parkwood and Acacia, good traffic and plenty of suckers.

“$50 cash if you follow him, let me know where he goes and who he talks to.”

Ray held out his hand eagerly.

“$10 now, the rest when I get my report.” Zoe dug a crumpled bill out of her pocket.    

Velek had been drinking in his usual silence. The stoic orc generally drank for an hour or two after his shift  barely saying a word, except to order a drink. 

“You said missing kid?” He asked, looking straight ahead.

“Yeah, little human boy.  You know anything?” Zoe turned to face him.

“I might have seen something, you talking to the police?”

“Anything I tell them comes anonymous sources.”

Velek nodded.  “Last Friday I saw a guy, walking around, South and 8th, had a hoodie on, couldn’t see his face.”

“That would be around the time that little Orc girl went missing, more or less.”

Velek’s head snapped toward her.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mitka tense as well.  This confirmed her suspicions, something was being covered up. Orcs protect their own, but not like this.

“I talked to Edvik. He’s checking my case, I’m checking his.”  Name dropping never hurt.

Mitka relaxed, going back to cleaning the bar.  Velek watched her for a long time before continuing.  She only knew him from the bar, his tattoos showed he was Blacktide, but she had no idea what his standing was. In the clan.

“You think the human boy has anything to do with her?” He finally asked

“I don’t know, maybe?” Zoe answered, adding “The hoodie guy, did you happen to catch his scent?”  She had a feeling she knew the answer.

“No scent, Just incense, like a damn hippie store.”

“Or a church?”

“Yeah, maybe” He agreed, going back to his drink.

 

Zoe Stood outside the bar, debating whether to call the detective. All she had right now was a suspect loosely connected to her case.  She put her phone away and started walking back to the office, her mind working.

_A guy shows up, a human, kidnaps an Orc. Two days later a human child goes missing, maybe related, maybe not. One day later, another Orc kid almost gets snatched.  But that wasn’t about the kid that was directed at her.  He was taunting her.  The two Orcs are probably connected but the human kid...coincidence?   None of the families have money._

_And what is the Blacktide covering up?  Could the Chadwicks be involved with the Blacktide clan? But then why was Edvik dismissive of the boy, but protective of the girl?_

Her train of thought brought her to the alley where Marcus got grabbed. Looking down, it was a straight shot across the street to the next alley. She started down, retracing her steps all the way to the fence, beyond that, it was dark.  The streetlights around here always burnt out, and the city couldn’t be bothered to replace them. 

The fence was about ten feet high, Zoe was in fairly good shape and she hadn’t been that far behind the guy.  How fast can you climb a fence?  She gripped the fence and started up, scaling like the devil was behind her and dropped down the other side.  Feasible, he would have had plenty of time to get over, wait for her and then he disappeared...Where?

Emerging from the other end of the alley. Zoe blinked in the sudden brightness of the streetlights, the whole length of the block.  The storefronts were well lit, the barred window of a bodega directly across from the alley.  Zoe turned around, she could see into the alley, illuminated at both ends, not the blackness that she saw from inside.

Turning on her phone’s flashlight, she walked back to the fence.  It grew darker every step Turning around she could just make out the stores, dark windows, no lights. Her flashlight still worked, shining a thin beam of light against the asphalt. She crouched down, starting on one side near the fence, looking for anything unusual.  There, on the building, about two feet up and hidden behind a trash can, was a symbol drawn in chalk.  Sheheld up her phone to take a picture, but even with the flashlight the camera only picked up black. Balancing her phone on her knee, she pulled out a pen and a business card, intending to copy the picture down.

“Hand where we can see them!” a familiar voice yelled.

“For fuck’s sake.” Zoe raised her hands, turning around slowly, finding herself blinded by a flashlight for the second time in that alley.

“You causing all kinds of trouble out here” Officer Ward sighed,  lowering his gun sightly.

“We got a call about suspicious activity” Officer Jacoby explained.

“Great, you caught me. Again.” Zoe gave them a sarcastic smile. “Am I being detained?”

“What....Uh, No” Jakoby said quickly. “You’re not in trouble.”

 “Really? We don’t know that.” Ward gave his partner an exasperated look.

“Is copying street art illegal now?” Zoe went back to drawing.

“What’d have there?” Ward moved behind her, shining his flashlight at the wall.

“Thanks, that helps” She set her phone down, before adding, “It’s magic, I think.”

“Fuck magic. What makes you think it’s magic?”

She jerked her head toward the street, now dark, their car only dimly visible.  The lights on top could be seen flashing, but only in shifting shades of darkness.

“I got really dark.  If I had to guess, this thing has something to do with it.” Zoe made a note of placement.

“It’s a sigil,” Jakoby leaned over her shoulder. “And you’re probably right”  

“How you know that?” Ward demanded.

“Magic in World History,” his partner explained “I took it in college, it was an elective.  Sigils used to be…”

“Man, no one cares” Ward cut him off.

“You know what it does? Or how it works?” Zoe asked him, finishing up her drawing.

“No, sorry, I just remember reading about them.”

“Well, I got what I need,” Zoe stood up, “So unless you want to frisk me again…” She smirked at Jakoby.

“Uh...no..I...don’t” He stammered.  Ward rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

Zoe found a great deal of amusement at making him uncomfortable. She headed out of the alley, the cops were right behind her.  Jakoby stopped at the threshold, looking around, and turned to look down the alley.

“Weird, huh? You can see down from this end, but not the other.” Zoe commented

"Weird," He agreed and  took a few steps back into the alley, turning around to look back.

“Come on, We ain’t messing with magic.” Ward called after him.

“So, you have your suspicious activity.” She held up the card with the drawing, “Want a copy?”

“We ain’t messing with no magic.” Ward repeated. “Don’t you go messing with it either.”

“I never dream of it” With a flick of her wrist, she made the card disappear, a sleight-of-hand trick she’d picked up.  Ward set his jaw, glaring slightly at her.  Zoe never got tired of antagonizing cops.

 “Let’s go.” He yelled at his partner, walking around to the passenger's seat, impatiently.

Jakoby, apparently satisfied with his experiments, finally emerged, making his way to the cop car.

“I’ll find a different alley next time you try to arrest me.” Zoe assured him, walking away. She heard him gave a little laugh, at least the orc had a sense of humor.

 

It was late, and there wasn't much else Zoe could do.  She wished she could get more info on the missing orc girl.  Her gut told her the three cases were related, even if her mind couldn’t make the connection.  She made a not to check the around the Chadwick house for a sigils.  If she could find one, she'd have her connection and something to give the detective.  If not, well, she could tell him what she found and him draw the conclusions.


End file.
